"Declutter Like a Mother"
Well, the new year has kicked off and we’re already in the middle of January, which felt like it happened in a blink of an eye. One of my favorite things to do during this time of the year is to declutter a lot of what accumulates over the holidays and the quieter season of the year. Everything feels like it needs a gentle reset button.
Over the last few years, I’ve participated in the annual “Declutter Like a Mother” challenge with Allie Cassazza and have even bought her book to dig more in-depth. I also what to preface that I am not an expert in any of this. I am not a Marie Kondo wiz. Or strive to be a next-level minimalist.
However, what I am is a working mother and wife with a very active 5 year old who runs her own business. So I will share with you some of the gems I’ve accumulated along the way that may help you keep a tidy-ish home that works for our busy family and doesn’t regularly trigger my anxiety.
Make it work for YOU and your family and lifestyle.
Who cares about what anyone else does or how they do it or even the right way to do it?! Works for you? Sounds like a winner to me.
You know your life, schedule, activity level, insanity level, and your level of tolerance better than anyone else, so make it fit those priorities.
Your priorities and your “why” makes all the difference. Want more peace? More time? More freedom? Less stress/anxiety? Do it for what YOU need.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. Seriously! “All or something” like my friend @kotuttle says.
Most of us don’t have the time and energy to clean the house top to bottom daily.
Pick a day of the week that you’ll dedicate to a single task at a time that’s not urgent.
For me, bathrooms are a Saturday morning chore. Sheets, towels, and such laundry is a weekend chore because I like fresh sheets to start the week.
Keep your main living space clear of things that don’t belong there.
The key is having a specific place for everything that lives in your space.
My son is welcome to bring his toys out and play in the living room. However, after he’s done, they go back on the shelf, in bins, or in his room if he’s assembled a masterpiece. We keep the surfaces clean, vacuum the area almost daily, and we want it to feel cozy.
Our living room is our functional space where we gather, where we play, and live our life, so we want it to be free of things that take away from that experience.
Learn to let go.
Years ago, I read some of the Marie Kondo method about minimalism and many things about it made so much sense, which was a big lesson in letting go.
Sometimes we hold on to things that no longer serve us out of obligation, as a trauma response, or as a way to cope. However, sometimes we don’t realize that getting rid of those same things can also set us free.
Before my last big move, I went through my closet to declutter before moving across town. So I was staring at several of my old bridesmaid dresses I wore to some fun wedding of my family and friends and passing them on felt so hard. Yet I decided to remember when I wore those dresses, how happy I was at the time, let go of the dresses, and seal the memory in my brain. And then it simply felt amazing letting it go.
Take it one day at a time.
Remind yourself of the goal of why you’re doing this whole project.
The whole house doesn’t have to be done all in one day. As a matter of fact, you should only do one section at a time. Even less….set a time for 30 minutes and get to work. And then after 30 minutes, decide if you want to keep going in that section or move on.
Sit back and enjoy your hard earned work!
Decluttering is a great way to allow you to reset and give your space a boost in energy, just like everything else. Decorate after you’ve cleared out some space. Send out your no-longer-used things to a better home; donate them, pass them on to your friends who may have use for it; resell them and make some money on it. Just get it out of your space! Wish it well, and keep it moving.
Where does it feel the most satisfactory for you to declutter?
Mine is definitely the closet. Working on eventual capsule wardrobe.
